Battery packs are intended for attachment to and for the energizing of electrical or electronic equipment such as two-way portable radios or transceivers, or other portable communication devices. For safety purposes it is desired to ensure that the battery housing containing the battery pack is fully attached and locked into the proper position with the housing containing the radio before radio operation.
To detachably interconnect the radio housing to the battery housing, the prior art interconnection method utilizes the integral structures of both housings alone. For example, a forward section or a protrusion was formed on the bottom portion of a radio housing. The protrusion was then slipped into an opening formed by an inturned edge positioned around three top side edges of the battery housing. As the radio housing is pushed or slid forward, in a horizontal direction, onto the battery housing, a flange formed on the bottom of the forward section or protrusion of the radio housing is captivated under the underside of the battery housing ledge. The forward section or protrusion and the bottom flange of the radio housing thus formed an internal base plate that slid onto a receiving battery housing. For extra strength, the internal base plate of the radio housing is made of metal. However, because of space consideration, and the interconnect design of the prior art, the rails which integrally form the ledge on top and around the battery housing were molded out of plastic, which intrinsically is not as strong as metal.
It is known that two-way portable radios and their battery packs or housings are often used in rugged environments where the radio may be dropped or torqued, or function in a chemically severe or other harsh environments. In such a severe environment, the plastic rails of the prior art design may degrade and not provide a sufficiently reliable battery and radio interconnect. Therefore, it is desired that a battery radio interconnect assembly be capable of providing rigid support and strength even in ruggedized applications such as severe environment and/or mechanical shock while providing an easy removal of the battery from the radio, a reliable hermetic seal, and sufficient feedback to ensure that the radio and battery housings are safely locked or unlocked.